Robin Shewokis is the owner of The Leather Elves, a company that designs and manfactures enrichment devices for animals in captivity. Since 2000 Robin has consulted a zoos in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Holland and has distributed enrichment products worldwide. Robin regularly speaks at parrot clubs, providing workshops teaching ways to create a stimulating environment. She also develops new products for parrots that will stimulate naturalistic behavior. Roin has published articles on enrichment in nationsl and international publications. She has also produced a DVD titled "Enriching Your Parrot's Life." Robin is a state coordinator for American Federational of Aviculture. She currently serves on the board of The International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators as past president.

LI Parrot Society members, Pat and Neal Rudikoff share their home with two Moluccan and two umbrella cockatoos. Their passion for 'toos twice brought them to Indonesia with the Indonesian Parrot Project where they searched out wild cockatoos, other birds and fauna.

The Rudikoffs serve on the board of The Oasis Sanctuary in Arizona, Pat as secretary and Neal as treasurer. They, with their feathered family, travel in a specially outfitted RV to spend winters in their home in AZ and to work at the Oasis. At home in NY, they serve as good-will ambassadors for the birds, doing numerous outreaches with their cockatoos.

OTHER EXPO PRESENTERS:

Dr. Laurie Hess of the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in Bedford Hills, NY is board-certified in avian medicine and is a past President of the Association of Avian Veterinarians. She is especially interested in exotic pet nutrition. In the late 1990s, she completed groundbreaking nutrition research on the importance of pelleted diets for birds.

She is joined at Parrot EXPO by Dr. Amanda Marino, who has been an animal ER doctor and is now completing a two-year residency in avian medicine and surgery at the Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics.

They will staff a "Meet the Vet" table at Parrot EXPO until noon, and Dr. Hess will also host a half hour Q&A session in our "Mini-Series" program.

Kaitlin is the practice's resident bird girl and has been with LIBEVC since opening day. After many years as a manager in retail, she realized her real calling was animals. Kaitlin loves all exotic pets but has a special interest in parrots. She shares her home with four parrots and two sugar gliders. In her spare time, she is taking classes in avian behavior and nutrition.